Ban, Obama to discuss Korean, Syrian crises

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to visit the White House next Thursday to discuss with President Barack Obama a broad range of pressing as well as longer-term global issues. Ban is also scheduled to express gratitude to the US president for the \"strong support\" the United States has provided to the Organization, his press office said late Friday. On top the pressing issues are the situation in the Korean Peninsula and the crisis in Syria. The Press Secretary in the White House also announced that President Obama would host Ban, next Thursday, for an Oval Office visit. \"The President looks forward to welcoming the Secretary General back to the White House and consulting with him on key issues, including the crisis in Syria, and expressing his gratitude for the many sacrifices United Nations personnel have made to protect vulnerable populations and to deliver aid to those most in need,\" the US Press Secretary said in a statement issued here. \"This meeting is a demonstration of the robust partnership between this United States and the United Nations in facing a wide array of global challenges,\" the statement added. North Korea has escalated rhetoric of threats against the US and its regional ally, South Korea, with looming indications that Pyongyang may resort to military option. In Syria, the crisis persists with no imminent settlement in sight, as the plight of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, relocated or homeless citizens, deepen. The UN has sounded the alarm bell that the refugees are in dire need for fresh aid